what we heard
"He's mentally ready and he's going to be one heck of an asset to the team that's fortunate enough to draft him." UConn head coach Jim Calhoun on player Ben Gordon's departure to the NBA next season.
2B the university daily kansan
off the bench
thursday, april15, 2004
BASEBALL
Royals lose in Chicago again ninth inning rally not enough
CHICAGO — The White Sox again blew a big lead against Kansas City. Only this time, Chicago came back to win.
Harris Roit, Parsons junior, played football yesterday outside of Memorial Stadium. Roit said he had to take advantage of the weather.
Joe Crede hit a bases-loaded single over a drawn-in outfield in the ninth inning as Chicago beat the Royals 10-9 yesterday.
Trailing 8-5 entering the ninth, Kansas City took a 9-1 lead on Carlos Beltran's two-run homer — his second of the game — and a solo shot by Mike Sweeney off Billy Koch.
Abby Tillery/Kansan
But the White Sox, who led 6-0 early, staged a comeback of their own.
Curtis Leskanic walked two and an error by second baseman Mendy Lopez loaded the bases.
Paul Konerko hit a fly ball single to right that fell between Lopez and Juan Gonzalez and just inside the line, tying the game.
Nate Field replaced Leskanic and the Royals brought Gonzalez in as a fifth infielder and drew their two remaining outfielders in. Crede then hit a 3-2 pitch to deep right-center.
Fun in the sun
Jon Adkins got the win, pitching one-third of an inning.
Beltran had four hits and four RBIs, including a two-run home run in the seventh off starter Jon Garland. On opening day, the Royals trailed Chicago 7-3 before scoring six in the ninth to win 9-7 on Beltran's two-run home run off Damaso Marte.
Brian Anderson will start today's series finale against the White Sox, while Jimmy Gobble — today's slated starter — will now pitch Friday against the Twins.
Bonds aims for championship focus not on future records
SAN FRANCISCO — So, what's next for Barry Bonds? He doesn't even want to think about it. Not yet, anyway.
Bonds was so busy passing his godfather in his climb up the home run list, he didn't ponder what might happen once he accomplished the 'feat.
With his seemingly effortless swing and powerful 39-year-old body still going strong, anything appears possible for the San Francisco slugger.
"I'm not going to try to figure out what's next," said Bonds, who homered on consecutive days to reach No. 661 and pass Willie Mays for third place. "I'm just trying to stay healthy and win a championship."
Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755) still loom in Bonds' path, of course. But first, Bonds wants to enjoy his latest historic homer.
After all of his accomplishments, he believes he's finally earned the admiration of his godfather.
"Barry doesn't need approval from me, because I've been there since he was 5," said Mays, a teammate of Bonds' late father, Bobby. "Whatever he does, right or wrong. I'm going to be there for him." Barry knows how much I love him."
Bonds has won a record six NL MVP awards and set the single-season home run record with 73 in 2001, but he may never consider his career complete without a World Series ring. He fell six outs short of the title in 2002 and came back the next spring proclaiming his determination to give the Giants another chance to win it all.
Former Cardinals star plugs Hardee's in new commercial
ST. LOUIS — Hardee's has given McDonald's something to chew on by signing Big Mac.
The St. Louis-based fast-food chain has signed former baseball slugger Mark "Big Mac" McGwire as its pitchman in a new television commercial touting the Hardee's Thickburger.
The spot, which debuted yesterday, marks the first major television advertising campaign McGwire has taken part in since he retired in 2001, three seasons after belting a then-record 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals. San Francisco's Barry Bonds broke McGwire's single-season homer record in 2001, hitting 73.
The 30-second commercial, airing in Hardee's markets in 34 states, shows the beefy former player chomping into a big burger.
"They call him Big Mac, and guess what his favorite hamburger is: the Hardee's half-pound Thickburger," the announcer says. "Because some guys don't like eating a half pound of bread to get a half pound of meat."
McGwire hit 583 home runs, sixth on the all-time list. Now, Hardee's hopes that McGwire's endorsement has Thick-burgers going, going, gone.
"I think almost every time I had a hamburger before a game there was a home run," McGwire said jokingly in a statement yesterday by Hardee's.
The Thickburger, introduced last year, is offered with one-third, one-half or two-thirds of a pound of beef, along with a low-carb cousin and versions featuring bacon or mushroom and Swiss cheese.
Astros pitcher gets victory to complete 3-game sweep
ST. LOUIS — Wade Miller walked a career-high seven, which usually comes back to haunt a pitcher.
Not this time.
Miller worked around the wildness to win his fifth consecutive start against St. Louis, leading the Houston Astros over the Cardinals 11-1 yesterday for a three-game sweep.
"I can't pitch like that all year long and expect to get a win," Miller said. "But I was able to bear down when I had to and throw some decent pitches when I had to."
Miller (2-0) gave up only two hits in seven shutout innings. He is 12-3 against St. Louis.
Kansas athletics calendar
TODAY
Track and Field in Kansas Relay, all day
TOMORROW
Track and Field in Kansas Relay, all day Baseball at Oklahoma State, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
Track and Field or Kansas Relays, all day
Rowing at Knecht Cup, all day
Baseball at Oklahoma State, 2 p.m.
Soccer vs. Tulsa and SMS, 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Tennis at Nebraska, 1 p.m.
Softball vs. Oklahoma State, 2 p.m.
SUNDAY
Baseball at Oklahoma State, 2 p.m.
Softball vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m.
Football Spring Scrimmage, 3 p.m.
Tennis vs. Missouri, 3 p.m.
Food draws people to support Relays
By Michael Phillips
mphillips@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The demand for people's attention on campus was at a premium yesterday.
Between Student Senate campaigners and the inflatable obstacle course, the Kansas Relays used a different method to get attention: cheap food.
At the Kansas Relays Exchange Zone, people can get a hot dog and a soda for $1.
The event will continue today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.in front of Stauffer Flint Hall on campus.
Billy Steffens, a member of the Relays Committee, was manning the booth yesterday.
"Hopefully the food will pull people in," the junior said, "and while they're here they will check out the displays."
Visitors can see track and field equipment, play on two PlayStation 2 consoles and learn about record performances from past Kansas Relays.
There will also be a four-minute raffle, where prizes are given away every four minutes. The title alludes to Jim Ryun's four-minute mile.
Ryun will be inducted into the Kansas Relays Hall of Fame on Saturday.
"Hopefully the food will pull people in,and while they're here they will check out the displays."
Billy Steffens Relays Committee member
Steffens said it was an opportunity to get people excited about the Relays and inform them about track and field.
The Relays have a lot of elite athletes, he said.
"I'm very excited. Every year it gets bigger and better."
He acknowledges that one big factor of the Relay's success can't be planned for.
The better the temperatures, the more people that will be found in Memorial Stadium this weekend.
The weather will be in the low 80s, according to www.weather.com, but Steffens and other meet officials give a nervous smile when talking about it.
As they know, good weather gets people's attention.
—Edited by Ashley Arnold
Additional Event; "Consilience: or the Unity of Knowledge"
Friday, April 16 Adams Alumni Center Summerfield Room
All events are free & open to the public Tickets are not required
www.hallcenter.ku.edu
785.864.4798